Undercover testing for discrimination in employment and housing will begin on October 1 of this year, according to a bill Mayor de Blasio signed into law. The law requires the New York City Commission on Human Rights to dispatch fake applicants to ask about jobs, or to approach landlords about available homes. In “matched-par testing,” two fake job applicants or tenants with comparable credentials will show up separately, with one exhibiting at least one of the characteristics protected by the city’s human rights law. These protected categories include, but are not limited to, race, age, sexual orientation, disability, immigration status, criminal history, and joblessness. Fines for violating the law could range from $2,500 to $25,000.
